THIS BIENNALE RESPONDS TO THE CURRENT REALITY AND EXPLORES THEMES OF HOME, LOSS, PAIN, LONGING, AND HOPE. IT'S AN ARTISTIC SEARCH FOR MEANING IN A VIOLENT, CRUEL WORLD. AN INVITATION TO CONTEMPLATE EXPERIENCES OF EMOTIONAL DETACHMENT, HELPLESSNESS, AND DISTRESS, STRIVING TO REMIND US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY, AND HELP IN THE CHAOS OF LIFE.
The question Anybody home? challenges the assumption that "Home" is a stable site of belonging, representing shelter, refuge, safety, peace, and identity; a place that protects its occupants. The boundaries delineating this everyday space have been abandoned, and are now more blurred than ever. Peace has been violated by elements of chaos and insecurity, by an experience of disrupted normality. "Home" has become more traumatic than comforting.
It is tempting to view time in seconds, minutes, and hours, before and after October 7, 2023. Moments connect to places, pinning memories, like flags on a map; moments that no one dares to forget in the face of violence, suffering, and profound pain. How can one rise from the abyss of darkness? What kind of people will we be? What kind of society will we create? What does the future hold? On what values will we raise our children? Where does one find the strength to rebuild a home in such a world?
Works of art are a manifestation of the human spirit and of art's power to inspire hope even in difficult moments, in the shadow of war; of its ability to strengthen and heal, to offer support and a remedy for the soul and give hope, to introduce humanism, solidarity, and social resilience in open, secure spaces where people can gather, share their grief, engage in sincere conversation, and strive for a better, peaceful future.
The Mediterranean Biennale was inaugurated in 2010 as a model for multicultural cooperation and dialogue among diverse outlooks and opinions held by different communities and groups in the Middle East and the Mediterranean countries.
The Biennale's underlying vision is to promote peace through artistic activity intended to build mutual trust in the region, by promoting cooperation based on equality and reciprocity; to bring a new approach to the region via artistic activity in the hope of creating a basis for human dialogue and coexistence between communities that are still in conflict and seek to promote education for peace, tolerance, and non-violence. The Biennale aims to bridge gaps in the perception of the other and encourage cultural diversity, to create an environment where individuals and groups share common values and exist in peace. By turning the spotlight on artistic work and universal human feelings based on a vision for a shared future and human dignity, we aim to avoid politics and regional disputes in the pursuit of creating a better future for coexistence.
The Mediterranean Biennale offers an alternative platform, highlighting the local processes being created in the region, and enhancing their cultural impact through art directed towards the community, that bridges between cultures; art that leaves the museum, integrates with the city, and transforms the city into a museum. The Biennale will serve as a place to raise various issues, such as: How to return art to society? What is the relevance of art in today's world? How is the role of art as a bridge between cultures manifested?
Avital Bar-Shay and Belu-Simion Fainaru
Biennale Curators
Welcome to the Fifth Mediterranean Biennale, an international art event that takes place in Haifa's urban public space every two years. This year, thirty contemporary international artists bring art into the daily life of shops, businesses, and educational institutions, scattered throughout the city. Various art exhibitions outline an alternative cultural map for diverse audiences wandering through the city.